Levy's attorney, Edward Shohat, filed the request June 6, saying his client needed "intensive psychological evaluation and treatment." He said the treatment was needed to determine whether Levy suffers from a psychiatric disorder that could form the basis for an insanity defense.

He proposed a two-week program for Levy in Baltimore at the Johns Hopkins University National Institute for the Study, Prevention and Treatment of Sexual Trauma. After that, Shohat wanted Levy to be released to the Aleph Institute in Miami with possible electronic monitoring.

The second option in Shohat's request was admitting Levy to a 60-day sex offender evaluation program at a minimum -security center facility in Minneapolis.

But neither option involved a lockdown institution that treats suspected and convicted child molesters, prosecutors said. That's what U.S. Magistrate Ann Vitunac said Levy could seek when she rejected his request to be released on bail last month.

Federal prosecutors said they had new evidence that Levy had unprotected sex with a Wellington boy he met in an America Online chat room in February. "Levy is a danger to the community because he cannot control his desire to engage in illegal sexual conduct with young boys," prosecutors said in court documents.

Prosecutors also argued he was a flight risk because he has strong ties to Israel, from which he could not be extradited.

Although Levy attempted suicide last month, U.S. Attorney Lothrop Morris said in court papers that there is no evidence that the rabbi suffers from a mental disorder that would render him incompetent to stand trial.

Kevin Krause can be reached at kkrause@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6604.